Yiran Su : Isenberg School of Management : UMass Amherst

Yiran Su is an assistant professor of sport management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on sport branding, particularly how new media and emerging technologies shape the ways sport brands are created, communicated, and perceived by consumers. Her current work examines how rapid changes driven by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are reshaping sport brands, sporting events, and the ways fans engage with and experience sport. By connecting branding theory with technological and cultural change, her research offers practical insights for sport organizations, event managers, brands, and policymakers. Dr. Su is a NASSM Research Fellow, serves on the editorial boards of leading sport management journals, and has received research awards and competitive grants from academic and professional organizations.

Education

Assistant Professor of Sport Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2022-current

Assistant Professor of Sport Management, University of Georgia, 2019-2022

Honors / Awards

Minitrack Chair, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2024-2027

Isenberg Outstanding Research Award, 2025

Sport Marketing Association Research Grant, 2025

Research Fellow, North American Society of Sport Management, 2024

NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant, 2023

Best Professional Paper Award, Sport Marketing Association Annual Conference, 2021

Runner-Up, New Researcher Award, European Association for Sport Management, 2021

Janet B. Parks NASSM Research Grant, 2021

Guest Editor, International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship

Editorial Review Board Member, Sport Management Review

Editorial Review Board Member, European Sport Management Quarterly

Editorial Review Board Member, Sport Marketing Quarterly

Research Interests

Sport Branding

New Media and Digital Marketing

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Sport

Sport Consumer Behavior and Fan Engagement

Cross-Cultural Marketing and Internationalization

Teaching Interests

Undergraduate

Sport Marketing
Introduction to Sport Analytics
Advanced Sport Analytics

Masters

Marketing Research and Analytics
Sport Marketing

Professional LinksGoogle Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kxcmStcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=aoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yiransu/

Professional Links

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kxcmStcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yiransu/

Selected Publications

Su, Y., Wang, D., & Sun, W. (2025). Mainstreaming stardom: The intersection of national identity, digital fan culture, and esports athlete branding. Internet Research, 35(5), 1776–1801. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-03-2024-0516

Su, Y., Katz, M., & Doyle, J. (2025). Long-distance relationship marketing in sport: Determining factors for satellite fans’ share of wallet and time. Sport Management Review, 28(3), 445–475. https://doi.org/10.1080/14413523.2025.2455235

Su, Y., Zhou, X., Funk, D., & Daniels, J. (2024). Cross-cultural comparison of satellite fanship: A consumer culture theory perspective. Journal of Sport Management, 39(1), 28–40. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2022-0362

Su, Y., Li, B., Scott, O. K. M., & Wang, J. J. (2025). Promises, paradoxes, and perils: The current state and future directions of Web3 technologies and brand innovation in sports business. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 26(2), 229–237. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-05-2025-327

Su, Y., Guo, X., Wegner, C., & Baker, T. (2023). The new wave of influencers: Examining college athlete identities and the role of homophily and parasocial relationships in leveraging name, image, and likeness. Journal of Sport Management, 37(5), 371–388. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2022-0192